Is It Safe To Travel With Kids?

We are asked questions about safety frequently.  Question like:

“Is it safe there?”
“Are you concerned about safety?”
“Do you feel safe?”

The questions are so frequent that we thought they warranted further analysis and discussion.  As always, the decisions we make will not work for everyone…we respect that but believe that they are what is best for our family.

Us v.s Them

This is a point of debate within our family, so I am sure it will solicit strong opinions here also.

When we are asked questions about safety during our travels, inherent in the questions is an Us v.s. Them attitude.  The citizens of the United States versus the Rest of the World.

There is an implication in the questioning that as soon as we step outside our borders the dangers to our persons and property escalates dramatically, around every corner in every foreign city waits someone that will do us harm.

On the one hand we can say the questions are derived from a sense of love and concern for our family, but I also can’t help thinking that they are based in ignorance and nationalism.

It is not true that as soon as we leave the U.S. we should be concerned for our safety, any more than it is if we leave our state for another state, or our house for the grocery store.  There are not people waiting for us around every corner in Jaco, or David, or Mazatlan, or Quito any more than they are in Portland, or Stockton, or Los Angeles, or Weed.

Ironically it is these types of questions that were the basis for our decision to travel and visit other cultures.  We wanted to show our children how other peoples lived, wanted to participate in the dialogue of bringing cultures together, and wanted to dispel some myths of travel.

Is it safe?  Well, we typically travel in places as safe as representative cities in the U.S..  There are many cities, and many neighborhoods in the countries of Latin America that I would avoid as there are in Portland, or Stockton, or Los Angeles.

Let me be clear here.  I take safety very seriously.  I am not naïve enough to believe that all the world is peaceful, that we will be greeted with open arms everywhere we go, and that there is not a risk to our person or property.

I just don’t believe that the dividing line is our border, well…at least because of a different race, or different skin color, or different language spoken (does that exclude Canadians?)  I believe that there does not need to be an US v.s. Them attitude, and in fact this attitude is perhaps the cause of some of our troubles.

The safety of our family is a central concern of Gina and I.

Gina ensures that we have ALL of our shots up to date, determines if our intended destinations warrant any further jabs with a needle and directs us to the appropriate clinics when necessary.  I am grateful that she has an interest/concern in this area…because it is usually the last thing on my mind.  In typical guy fashion I will avoid the doctor at all costs…even if Malaria is involved.

Our approach to travel is a deterrent to crime.  We are not the jewelry wearing, carry wads of cash, in your face tourists that are often associated with the worse aspects of our country.  Most of the time we even avoid the “tourist trail” and travel during off-season.

We maintain a vigilance and awareness when traveling in big cities, and have developed a family routine where everyone has a job as we move from place to place.  We are aware of our surroundings and the vibe of a certain place, if someone does not feel comfortable in an area we listen to what they are saying.  We also do not spend an awful lot of time out after dark, while we will frequent restaurants and other public places, we will take a cab instead of a bus and generally avoid walking through areas we are not familiar with after dark.

After 11 months of traveling through Central America and South America we have only had 2 incidents; a camera stolen while walking the streets of Panama and a jacket stolen from a park bench in Ecuador.  We learned lessons from both of these that we now use to deter a repeat occurrence, and we hope the jacket was able to keep someone warm and the camera brought enough money to buy food for their family.

As an expat traveling in foreign countries you will always stand out, and in areas with poverty those that have are often targets from others that do not have many comforts of life.  With a little common sense, awareness, and empathy you can live and travel almost anywhere and be reasonably safe – the same lessons that apply when traveling in your own country.

Want to read more from Sean?  He also writes for AffordableCallingCards.net where he blogs about his life as an expat.   Come by both blogs and share a comment!

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